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“Thank you, Your Highness, for your great kindness.”
The atmosphere in the palace had been somewhat awkward, but Xiao Ming’s words, like a masterstroke, immediately livened it up.
“No need for thanks, King of Sanmyo. A talented man and a beautiful woman, a match made in heaven, that too is a beautiful thing,” Xiao Ming said.
The King of Sanmyo was also a shrewd man. This brother of Xiao Ming was also a prince, and for a small country like his, it was still a great rise in status. This was enough for him.
With just a few words, the marriage alliance was settled, and the atmosphere in the palace immediately became lively.
Yue Yun and Liu Chen also became more talkative due to the alcohol.
“…Your Highness, the most dangerous thing in the sea are sharks. Just after driving away the Japanese, I was almost eaten by a shark…” After a few drinks, Liu Chen opened up and began recounting his heroic deeds during his time in the Sanmyo Kingdom.
Yue Yun spat out his wine and said, “You deserved it! You clearly saw the shark’s fin exposed, but you had to show off and say you wanted to compete with the shark. In the end, that shark, three or four meters big, charged out. It’s lucky it didn’t eat you.”
He was not to be outdone, picking up an abalone and stuffing it into his mouth. It must be said that marine life in this era was very abundant. For example, these abalones, according to Liu Chen, were so densely packed on the reefs that no one even ate them.
However, they wouldn’t let such good things go to waste. Now, they ate this stuff frequently in the camp, making Xiao Ming sigh that their lives were indeed quite comfortable.
After eating an abalone, Xiao Ming’s gaze fell on a large basin of lobsters in the middle. These lobsters were all enormous. They looked at least half a catty each, freshly caught. Xiao Ming’s greasy hand reached for another lobster.
Having eaten and drunk his fill, Xiao Ming let out a satisfied burp. Such a meal would be extremely luxurious in modern times. However, after the meal, it was time to discuss serious matters. He asked, “That pirate Hu Hai, has he still not been captured?”
Yue Yun showed a look of annoyance and said, “Not yet. I suspect he has fled to Japan. Now, those attacking merchant fleets are some small pirates, but he is always a hidden danger. He will certainly not willingly give up the Sanmyo Kingdom.”
“Japan will not willingly give up this place either. I believe they will surely return.” Xiao Ming understood that what Yue Yun said was true. Since ancient times, this country had never been peaceful, always thinking of invading other countries. Dynasties throughout history had launched several punitive expeditions against Japan, but all ended in failure. However, now that Xiao Ming had arrived, he would not allow them to grow into a threat.
While they were discussing, a large fleet was assembling at Nagasaki port in Japan.
At the dock, Hu Hai was cautiously accompanying a Japanese man. This man wore a loose black kimono and a triangular black hat, with a pair of triangular eyes, his gaze revealing a formidable presence. He was Sakai, who had been defeated in Ryukyu.
“Hu Hai, you are primarily responsible for losing the Sanmyo Kingdom. So, after we set off, have your men sail in front!” Sakai said in a commanding tone.
Hu Hai’s eyes flashed with annoyance upon hearing this. After being defeated by the Qingzhou fleet, he fled to Japan with his remaining routed soldiers. After Japan occupied the Sanmyo Kingdom, it supported him in becoming the de facto ruler of the kingdom.
So now he could only rely on Japan to regain power, but Japan was currently preparing for war against Goryeo and was unable to concern itself with the Sanmyo Kingdom. After much pleading, Yamada Nobunaga only agreed to send a portion of pirates to assist him.
Because in Yamada Nobunaga’s view, it was impossible for Qingzhou to always station so many fleets at the Sanmyo Kingdom’s dock.
“Yes, I’ll go arrange it!” Though annoyed, Hu Hai complied. After all, “when under someone’s roof, one has to bow one’s head.” He now needed Japan to help him reclaim everything he had lost.
Otherwise, he would ultimately become nothing more than a pirate.
Seeing Hu Hai leave, Sakai showed a disdainful look. From beginning to end, he had never thought highly of this fellow. This time, Yamada Nobunaga’s purpose was not to capture the Sanmyo Kingdom, but to capture a Qingzhou warship.
After preparations were complete, Sakai led the pirate ships towards the Sanmyo Kingdom, hoping that this time they would get what they wished for.
After the banquet, Xiao Ming and the others stayed in the palace. The next day, everyone woke up very late. With fine wine and delicious food, they had slept soundly through the night.
However, at noon, he was suddenly woken by Yue Yun’s voice.
“Your Highness, the patrolling warships have spotted a large fleet of pirate ships heading towards the dock,” Yue Yun said nervously. If Xiao Ming weren’t here, it wouldn’t matter, but with Xiao Ming present, he inevitably worried about Xiao Ming’s safety.
“Pirate ships?” Xiao Ming frowned. He put on his clothes and stood up. These Japanese pirates really knew how to pick their time. ‘Did a traitor among us expose my whereabouts?’
“Your Highness, that’s impossible. We just arrived last night, but it takes some time for the Japanese pirates to prepare a pirate fleet. It’s just a coincidence this time.”
Xiao Ming nodded. “This time, I really don’t know if I’m unlucky or they are.”
With that, Xiao Ming looked at the more than twenty warships berthed at the dock. For Xiao Ming’s safety, Yue Yun had gone to great lengths this time.
“Naturally, they are the unlucky ones,” Yue Yun said with a smile. “But please, Your Highness, go to the star fort for temporary shelter. It’s not safe in this royal palace.”
Xiao Ming nodded. At this moment, the best way was to give them more trouble by replenishing.
After a quick wash, Xiao Ming left the palace and went to the military camp within the star fort. At this time, the soldiers in the star fort were all neatly dressed and had taken their defensive positions, looking as if a great battle was about to begin.
After Yue Yun and Liu Chen had settled Xiao Ming, the two walked together towards the dock.
The news from the patrolling warships indicated that the pirate fleet was not far from here. They had to set sail immediately to meet the enemy and eliminate the Japanese pirates at sea. Otherwise, once the Japanese pirates landed, Xiao Ming could be in danger. Thinking of this, both felt a little nervous.
Upon reaching the dock, they immediately rallied the crew to board the ships. Everything was ready, and Yue Yun and Liu Chen led the fleet north. According to the news from the patrolling warships, there were 200 pirate ships this time, a formidable lineup.
But even so, the two were already very confident in their ability to fight at sea. 200 warships without cannons are nothing more than targets; the only thing to worry about was these ships getting too close.
At this moment, Hu Hai and Sakai could already see the coastline of the Sanmyo Kingdom. A cruel glint flashed in Hu Hai’s eyes. This time, he would surely bathe the royal palace in blood, making them understand who was truly the King of the Sanmyo Kingdom. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚑𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥